Bayern Acquires Makaay

In the third-most significant soccer transaction of the summer -- after the transfer of David Beckham from Manchester United to Real Madrid and of Ronaldinho from Paris Saint Germain to Barcelona -- Bayern Munich on Monday acquired striker Roy Makaay from Deportivo La Coruna of Spain.

Makaay, 28, was the top scorer in the Spanish league last season with 29 goals and had been eagerly pursued by the German champions.

The Dutch international will undergo a medical exam today and, if cleared, will sign a four-year agreement with Bayern. He was acquired at a cost of somewhere between Deportivo’s asking price of $22.6 million and Bayern’s offer of just over $16 million. The exact fee was not disclosed.

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Beckham Sweats

Real Madrid’s Asian tour has moved on from China, but the Spanish team left a little of itself behind.

A charity auction of items from Real’s visit raised more than $18,000 for the children of Chinese medical workers who died fighting the country’s outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome this year.

A ball autographed by Beckham, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane fetched $2,500 on Sunday, according to the Beijing Morning Post. A bathrobe and other items “still bearing the stink of Beckham’s sweat” realized $340, the Post said.

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Juventus Praised

Italian champion Juventus was praised by Coach Marcello Lippi after its come-from-behind victory over European champion AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup at Giants Stadium on Sunday.

“When you go a goal down and you have just 20 seconds left, you think, in reality, you have no chance,” Lippi said. “But you never know what can happen.

“We saw an improvement in the Juventus performance [during its ChampionsWorld tour of the U.S.] and I was happy.... After one more week of preparation, we will be in good shape.”

The Serie A season opens Aug. 31 and runs through May 16.

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Mexican Opener

Defending champion Monterrey was upset, 1-0, by Cruz Azul over the weekend as the Mexican league’s Apertura championship got underway. Defender Melvin Brown scored the only goal of the game for the team known as the “Cement Mixers.”

Monterrey, coached by Argentine World Cup winner Daniel Passarella, had defender Elliot Huitron sent off for kicking an opponent late in the game as tempers flared.

“It’s never good to start a championship by losing,” said Brazilian striker Alex of Monterrey.

Cruz Azul has considerably strengthened its roster for the new season. Its acquisitions include veteran Ecuadorean midfielder Alex Aguinaga and Argentine striker Marcelo Delgado, whose nine goals helped Boca Juniors win this year’s Copa Libertadores.

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Quick Passes

A penalty kick goal by 14-year-old Freddy Adu gave the United States under-17 national team a 1-0 victory over its Australian counterpart in Liverpool, England, on Monday. Both teams are in final preparation for the Aug. 13-30 FIFA Under-17 World Championship in Finland.... Dutch champion PSV Eindhoven said it expected losses for last season to total more than $10 million because the club, despite its domestic success, was unable to advance beyond the first round of the lucrative European Champions League.... Germany’s Kaiserslautern has lost Egyptian national team defender Hany Ramzy for up to six months because of knee ligament damage suffered Saturday.... Another Egyptian international, midfielder Hossam Ghali, 22, signed a four-year contract with Feyenoord of the Netherlands after being acquired from Al Ahly of Egypt for $1.7 million.... Coach Bob Bradley’s MetroStars will play China’s national team at Giants Stadium on Sept. 9, the Major League Soccer club announced.

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Times wire services contributed to this report.